and spared not," while the man of the house held the candle and looked at us as we were devouring his eatables. I could not see his heart and of course could not tell what sort of thoughts "harboured there," but I could see his face and that indicated pretty distinctly what passed in his mind; he said nothing, but I believe he had as lief his bread and butter had been arsenic as what it was. We cared little for his thoughts or his maledictions, they did not do us half so much hurt as his victuals did us good.
We then returned to our party at the Colonel's, where we arrived before daybreak; we staid here through the day, drew some pork and biscuit, and prepared for our expedition after the Cow Boys. At dark we sat off, accompanied by the Militia Colonel and three or four subaltern Militia officers;—this was the third night I had been on my feet, the whole time without any sleep, but go we must. We marched but a short way in the road, and then turned into the fields and pastures, over brooks and fences, through swamps, mire and woods, endeavouring to keep as clear of the inhabitants as possible. About midnight we crossed a road near a house, the inmates of which, I suppose, were friendly to our cause, as the officers ordered us to stand still and not to speak nor leave our places on any account whatever, while they all entered the house for a few minutes, upon what errand I know not. As soon as the officers joined us again we marched off. One of our sergeants having disobeyed orders and gone round to the backside of the house, unobserved by the rest of us, (it being quite dark,) upon some occasion best known to himself, we marched off and left him. We had not gone fifty rods before he returned to the place where we were standing when he left us, and not finding us there he hallooed like a brave fellow; but the Militia officers said that it would not do to answer, so we marched on and left him to find the way to camp, through what might with propriety be called an enemy's country, as well as he could; he, however, arrived there, with some considerable difficulty, safe and sound.
We kept on still through the fields, avoiding the houses as much as possible. I shall never forget how tired and beat out I was; every grove of trees or piece of woods I could discern, I hoped would prove a resting
